


This Is Real Life

by city_bright



Category: The Mindy Project
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-21
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-03-13 18:32:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 5,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3391928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/city_bright/pseuds/city_bright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of one shot moments between Danny and his daughter, Selene. They're not necessarily in chronological order, but they exist in the same alternative universe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sauce

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BangableHott](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BangableHott/gifts), [tainted_silver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tainted_silver/gifts).



> These are completely un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine. I hope it's not riddled with too many.
> 
> For BangableHott, who convinced me to write a fic based on some tags I wrote on Tumblr, and for tainted_silver, who wanted more moments, and I couldn't resist lol I hope you like it! :D

“And that is how you make the perfect marinara sauce, Selene,“ he stated as he stirred in some fresh parsley. “Now, I don’t expect you to get it all down on the first try, but we have a lot of time to work on it.”

Selene babbled and cooed, impatiently waving her hands in the air as she sat in her high chair at the dining table. Danny took the pot of sauce off the stove to cool before sitting down next to her to cut up the spaghetti into bite size pieces.

“Also, don’t tell your mother that I put parsley in the sauce. She hates it. It’ll be our little secret, okay?” Selene stared at him with her curiously wide, brown eyes. “Okay,” he said with a nod and then a kiss to her button nose.

He finished putting lunch together and started to feed her. Danny had developed this tendency to open and close his mouth like a fish whenever he tries to spoon food into her mouth. He knows it doesn’t really do much to get Selene to eat, but he can’t help but feel a bit proud when she eats a spoonful with no fuss.

Lunch time is always a mess. Food gets splattered everywhere, and it becomes a clean person’s nightmare. But he has learned to let little things like that go because nothing else really matters when you have a child who’s half of you and half of the love of your life. It doesn’t matter if the baby’s clothes and stuffed animals are strewn about, and it doesn’t matter if there’s still a little bit of baby vomit crusted on the hardwood floor next to the couch. There’s always something new to discover and new to love when it comes to his daughter, and he is loving every second of it.

So when he sees Selene grabs a handful of spaghetti in her tiny fists, smearing sauce all over her face and into her dark curls, giggling and smiling wide just like her mother, fatherhood is everything he has ever imagined and more. Sometimes, he has to remind himself that _this_ is real life.


	2. First Hour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny and Selene share a special moment within the first hour she's born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For tainted_silver, who wanted more father-daughter moments. I hope you enjoy :D
> 
> (Ugh, I have such baby fever from this darn show.)

Danny can’t believe it. He’s a father, and Selene Kathleen Castellano is finally here, in his arms. He can’t stop staring at her because she’s just a perfect little bundle of joy. He studies her features repeatedly, from those dark curls at the top of her head to her button nose, full pouty lips, ten fingers, and ten toes as Mindy lovingly looks on. Selene is resting quietly, which is a far cry from how she entered this world, and he is in complete awe of her.

As he gently arranges and rearranges her hair, Selene makes a mewling sound in slight annoyance. He chuckles to himself because she’s already acting like Mindy, who hates it when people mess up her hair. One of Selene’s arms manages to escape the confines of the blanket, and Danny reaches out to comfort her. Then, unexpectedly, Selene grabs ahold of his finger and opens her brown eyes, making Danny gasp.

“Mindy, Min, look, she’s holding my finger. She’s looking at us,” he whispered wistfully.

Mindy beams with pride, her heart so full of love. “She loves you already, Danny.”

He looks over at Mindy with a smile a mile wide. God, he loves her so much. She's given him everything he could ever ask for. He places a tender, lingering kiss on Mindy’s lips, and then softly kisses Selene’s forehead. How did he ever get so lucky?


	3. Papa Penguin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny (and Mindy, but mostly Danny) protects Selene from the Arctic cold (NYC cold, but whatever, same thing lol)

It's one of the worst snowstorms New York City has ever seen. All public transportation has halted to a stop, leaving everyone stuck in their homes. Mindy and Danny have a fire going in the fireplace, and they’re dressed to the nines in socks and sweaters, and really anything they can get their hands on, including each other. Danny is basically a furnace, so Mindy snuggles into him, wrapping all of her limbs around him, trying to maximize bodily contact.

“Danny, do you think Selene is okay? I’m worried she’s gonna catch a cold or something.”

“She’ll be fine, Min. She’s wearing socks, fleece pajamas, and she has three layers of blankets.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. Don’t worry, Min. She’s alright.” He reassured her with a kiss into her hair, and Mindy relaxed in his arms.

Within minutes, they heard the soft puttering of socks against hardwood floors. There was a soft knock at their bedroom door, and then Selene poked her head in. “Mommy? Daddy?”

Mindy released herself from Danny’s embrace and sat up. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

Selene ran to the foot of their bed clutching Mr. Neck and her favorite blanket. “I’m cold.” Mindy reached forward to pick up her daughter and brought her in between her and Danny, tucking her underneath the blankets.

“C’mere, sweetheart,” Danny whispered as he raised his arm to allow her to scoot closer to him. Selene dug herself into Danny’s chest and sighed in content as he wrapped his arms around her. “Better?” She nodded. “Okay, get some sleep, baby girl.”

Mindy brought up some more blanket around them before wrapping one arm around Selene and Danny, creating a huddle of warmth. As they slowly drifted off to sleep, Danny couldn't help but smile as he recalls reading the penguin article from years ago. Now, he's protecting his family from the cold, but he is warmer than ever.


	4. Bedtime Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny tells Selene a bedtime story to help her fall asleep

Danny was jolted awake from the sound of the baby crying through the baby monitor. He stretched out his limbs and felt the cold sheets on his left.

“Min?” He reached over to turn on his bedside lamp and found a note.

_Delivery. Be back as soon as I can._   
_xx Min_

He untangled himself from the comforter and headed for the nursery, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes as he went. He carefully picked up Selene and comforted her by reassuring her and swaying her back and forth. “It's okay, Daddy’s here. You’re okay. Shhh.” Selene started to settle down, and he felt so lucky to have a child who doesn’t cry into the night. However, it does take some time for her to go back to sleep. Whenever it’s Danny’s turn to get the baby, he always lulls her to sleep with a story of him and Mindy. “Do you want me to tell you a story of your mother and me until you fall asleep?” he asks, even though he’s gonna do it anyway no matter what Selene does.

Tonight is no different, and Selene cooed in agreement. He walked over to the arm chair in the corner of the room, settled in, and got right to it. “About four years ago, I was walking past one of the delivery rooms at the hospital where you were born, and I saw your mother performing surgery, bringing a baby just like you into the world. You should’ve seen her. She was so focused, determined, and great. She’s always great, but I guess you know that already. You’ve been there.”

He continued with the story, telling her all about how he found Mindy in the doctor’s lounge watching _When Harry Met Sally_ and how he ran to Mindy just like Harry ran to Sally, but he promised that that’s another story for another night. Somewhere along the way, Selene fell asleep, but Danny couldn’t bring himself to put her back in her crib. He was so enchanted by his daughter that he didn’t realize Mindy had been standing in the doorway of the nursery for 5 minutes. She softly cleared her throat, prompting Danny to look up.

“Telling stories about us, are you?” She joined him on the chair, wrapping an arm around Danny’s neck, and delicately stroked Selene’s hair.

“Yeah, she couldn’t sleep. How was the delivery?”

“It was fine. Everyone is resting comfortably. Glad to be home though.”

“So are we,” he said, with a kiss to her cheek. "We missed you."

He looked down at his daughter again and made a mental note to tell her about this night. 


	5. Father-Daughter Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title says it all ;D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this idea rolling around in my head for a bit, but after stumbling upon Savage Garden's I Knew I Loved You yesterday, I finally got down to writing it. Hope you all like it :D

Danny was sullenly sitting at his assigned table, rolling a cup of punch between his palms. He was left to defend himself as Mindy expertly chatted with the other parents. Thankfully, he was given immediate solace when she took a sit next to him.

"How are you holding up?" she asked as she slide an arm around his shoulders.

"I could be doing better," he replied, wiping away the thin sheen of perspiration on his forehead. "Why am I even here, Mindy? You know she doesn't want me here." 

"Of course she does! But you know children her age. They just want to be independent. Besides, she might change her mind. She'll come around."

"I don't think so. I think I should go. I don't want to ruin this night for her," he mused as he looked towards his daughter running around in her purple dress with her friends.

"No, come on, Danny. If she changes her mind, and you're not here to dance with her, then _that_ will ruin her night. At least stay until the dance and see what happens."

He thought about the possibility of leaving his daughter disappointed and grimaced at the thought. "Alright."

Selene's school was hosting a father-daughter dance, which Danny thought was a waste of time, but Selene was excited to dress up and be with her friends. She was not, however, particularly looking forward to dancing with her father as he "embarrasses her constantly." It had hurt his feelings since he and Selene used to dance together all the time, particularly to Beauty and the Beast, when she was younger. He understands why she doesn't want to dance with him now, but it hurts just the same. 

The school principal announced that it's finally time for the anticipated father-daughter dance, and all the fathers and daughters trickled onto the dance floor, causing Selene to return to her parents and sit down beside them. Danny fidgeted nervously, stealing glances to try to find any indication that Selene might change her mind.

"Do you want to dance?"

"No, thanks."

Mindy reached for Danny's hand and squeezed in comfort as he lowered his head. Selene abruptly stood up and walked to the refreshment table, and Danny released a breathe he didn't know he was holding.

"I told you she wouldn't change her mind, Min. Am I a terrible father? She doesn't even want to dance with me."

"Hey, don't ever question yourself as a father," Mindy said softly. "You're an amazing father. You did nothing wrong, okay?"

"But-"

"No buts, Danny. That's the truth." Danny nodded, but he wasn't sure if he 100% believed it.

"Dad?" Danny looked up in surprise to find Selene standing before him. "Do you want to dance with me?" Danny darted his head back and forth between Selene and Mindy, who nodded and smiled in encouragement.

"I'd love to." He stood up and offered his hand in which Selene gladly placed her hand. They reached the dance floor and started to sway back and forth. After some awkward shuffling and rearrangement of feet, Selene said, "Dad, I'm terrible at this."

"You're doing fine, honey." Selene groaned in disagreement, so Danny let her stand on his feet, and he danced for the both of them.

"Thanks, Dad," she mumbled into his shirt.

Danny smiled and stroked her hair. "Anytime, sweetheart." He made eye contact with Mindy, who was smiling and holding back tears while clutching her chest as if the sweet scene before her would make her heart explode. As they continued to dance, Danny thought that maybe some things don't have to change after all.

_I knew I loved you before I met you. I have been waiting all my life._


	6. Father-Daughter Dance pt. 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selene gets married, and she and Danny share a quick dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter might be more heavily focused on Mindy and Danny than Danny and Selene, but I hope it's balanced well enough. Enjoy (:
> 
> Music:  
> Have I Told You Lately - Matt Acheson  
> You Got What I Need - Freddie Scott

This evening feels vaguely familiar, but a thousand times better. He had just finished giving a toast to the happy couple, he has a smile on his face and an arm around Mindy, who's leaning into his touch, and he could not be happier. He had imagined this day a little begrudgingly in the past because he had firmly believed that no one would ever be good enough for his daughter, and he swore up and down that he would never let her go, but he'd been proven wrong. Selene's newly minted husband has a good head on his shoulders, and Danny is confident that he's more than capable of loving her, respecting her, supporting her, and making her happy. But he's not afraid to kick some ass should Ethan hurt her.

"They look happy, don't they?" Mindy wistfully asked.

Danny smiled as he saw Selene and Ethan going from table to table, greeting their guests. "Yeah, they really do. Just look at the way he looks at her, Min."

"It reminds me of how you look at me, Danny."

He turned towards her with peaked interest and asked, "Really? Like how?"

"Like I hung moon, like you couldn't believe that someone like me could love someone like you." She looked up at him and caressed his cheek. He kissed her wrist and confirmed that she was correct before she lowered her hand to pull out a couple of tissues from her clutch and started dabbing her eyes. Danny held Mindy a little tighter, placing a kiss at her temple, and then one in her hair as he chuckled quietly into her ear. "Don't laugh at me, Danny, I'm very emotional."

"I know," he chuckled again. "You're very adorable when you're emotional. I love it, and I love you."

"Kiss ass cradle robber."

Danny playfully gasped in shock. "How _dare_ you insult me like that?"

"Uhh, exsqueeze me, how dare _you_? That's my line, mister," she retorted back with a sharp poke to his chest. They stared each other down for a millisecond before breaking into laughter. After settling down, they sighed in content. One of Danny’s favorite songs started to play, and he couldn’t resist.

“May I have this dance, Mindy?”

She nodded and took his hand, letting him lead them to the dance floor. She rested her head on his chest, and her eyes closed on their own accord as they slowly swayed to the sound of the piano.

 _There’s a love that's divine, and it’s yours and it’s mine like the sun._ _And at the end of the day, we should give thanks and pray to the one, oh, to the one. Have I told you lately that I love you? Have I told you there’s no one above you? Fill my heart with gladness, take away my sadness, ease my troubles, that’s what you do._

Mindy felt a couple of light taps on her shoulder and opened her eyes to see Selene, beautifully clad in white lace. “Would you mind if I cut in, Mom?” she asked timidly.

“Oh, not at all, honey! He’s all yours.” Mindy turned to Danny and gave him a kiss. “Thanks for the dance, sweetheart. There’s a slice of cake or two with my name on it, so you know where I’ll be.” She walked towards the table that housed the cake as Selene started to dance with Danny.

“Mom! Don’t eat my slice, okay?!” Selene yelled after her mother. Mindy waved her hand in dismissal behind her, and Danny and Selene chuckled.

“She’s going to eat your slice.”

Selene sighed in defeat. “Yeah, I know. There’s no stopping her.”

“No, there is not. Did you know when she was about three months pregnant with you, Tamra brought in this gigantic sheet cake for her birthday, and your mother immediately attacked it with a fork.” He laughed fondly at the memory. “Of course I was upset with her then because she was pregnant with you, and I wanted her to eat healthy, but I learned in time that no one can get in-between Mindy and cake. There’s just no way.”

“Oh, Dad. You should have known not to get in the way of a hormonal, pregnant woman with cravings. You’re an OBGYN! ” Selene teased.

“I know, I know. I don’t know what I was thinking,” he laughed. They spent a minute enjoying each other’s company and dancing before speaking again.

“I can’t believe my little girl is all grown up and married now.”

“I know. I can’t believe it either."

“I’m so happy that you’re happy, but you tell me if he ever lays a hand on you or hurts you in any way. You remind him that I’m a surgeon, and I can do some serious damage, and that your mother, who also has scalpel skills, serves revenge on a hot plate.”

Selene laughed at his dramatic speech. “I know you and Mom mean well, but I think that’s a bit much.” Seriousness replaced the playfulness in her voice as she continued. "He’s not going to hurt me, Dad. I know that we might fight and say hurtful things to each other, but he’s a great guy. You don’t need to worry.”

“I know he is, but I can’t help it. You’re my daughter, and I love you. I always want you to be happy and safe."

“I love you, too, Dad. Thanks for always looking out for me. Mom, too.”

“Of course. It’s our job as parents. We’re always going to be here for you.” The song faded away and transitioned into the slightly more upbeat song You Got What I Need.

“Okay, Dad, I got to talk to more people and everything. We have to dance together at least once more before the night is over.”

“You got it, kiddo.”

“Okay, don’t forget!” She left to go find her friends, and Mindy returned to Danny’s arms before Danny even had to chance to find her.

“Hey, babe. How was your dance with Selene?”

“It was great! We had a nice talk and made plans to dance again later.”

“Aww, that’s sweet.” Mindy’s face scrunched as she took his Danny’s amused face. “What? Why are you smirking at me like that?"

“Well,” he chuckled. “You just got a little cake frosting riiiiight there.” He punctuated the last word with a series of kisses on the corner of her mouth and on her cheek, which made Mindy squeal and laugh.

“Did you get it all?” she asked with a knowing smile after he stopped.

He smirked again as he said that he did. “Aw, my hero,” she teased as she encircled both of her arms around his neck and placed two kisses on his jaw. Danny laughed in her ear as he hugged her closer, swaying them back and forth to the beat of the jazzy music.


	7. Heartbeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mindy and Danny go to the doctor to hear the baby's heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is centered around Mindy and Danny, but I'm placing this story into this collection of one shots... because I can :P

Danny was fidgeting around their apartment, waiting for Mindy to get ready. He’s nervous and sweaty, but mostly worried. He checks his watch. _Thirty minutes_.

“Mindy, are you ready yet? We only have half an hour!” _Maybe I have time to change into a different shirt_ , he thinks as he looks down at his sweat stained shirt. He walks over to Mindy’s closet, where Mindy is putting on the last of her black heels.

“I’m ready!” Mindy gives Danny a once over and wrinkles her nose. Wordlessly, she fishes out another blue button down for him, and he understands.

* * *

With Mindy safely situated in the waiting room of the doctor’s office, Danny relaxes, but not by much. There are still many things that could go wrong, but so far so good, and he finds comfort in that. Mindy is sitting next to him, fully entrenched in _People Magazine_ , while she gently rubs Danny’s back. She suddenly throws _People_ back onto the waiting room table, and he darts his eyes to the magazine, and then to her with worried eyes.

“Ugh, I swear if another celebrity couple break up, there is no hope for me and you, Danny. If _Ben Affleck_ and _Jennifer Garner_ can’t make it, there is no hope for the rest of us. Who’s next, Kim and Kanye? Wait! I didn’t say that. I take it back, I take it back. I didn’t mean it,” she whispers to the universe as she desperately looks up to the ceiling.

He smiles at the Mindy Lahiri he knows and loves so well.

“Dr. Mindy Lahiri?” A nurse calls out.

Mindy stands up, taking Danny’s hand with her, at the sound of her name. “Hi, right over here.”

“Hi, Dr. Lahiri. Why don’t you follow me over to exam room 3, and we’ll get started.”

“Sounds great!” As she walks towards the nurse, she is stopped by a still sitting Danny. “Danny? You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I just… need a second.”

Mindy smiles at the nurse in apology as she turns back around to Danny. She sits next to him again, taking his cheek in her palm. “Danny?” she asks softly. He looks at her with his deep brown eyes, and she knows. “Everything is going to be fine, Danny. It’s been great since day 1. There’s no reason anything should go wrong.”

He gulps and nods. He knows. He’s an OBGYN, but the appointment when you get to finally hear the heartbeat always scare him. He fears the silence. But he knows. _It’s going to be okay_.

They stand up together, hand in hand, and follow the nurse into the exam room.

* * *

“Dr. Lahiri, Dr. Castellano, are you two ready to hear your baby’s heartbeat?” The nurse asks as she walks through the door.

“Yes, very.” Mindy smiles as she gives Danny an excited glance, and before they know it, the nurse is gliding the wand across Mindy’s abdomen, taking ultrasound photos along the way.

“Okay, time for the moment of truth.” They hold their breath, scared to disrupt the silence, but wanting so much for the silence to be broken. After a few seconds too long, Danny opens his eyes he didn’t know were closed and finds the nurse with a look of confusion.

“Nurse? Is there something wrong?” He grasps Mindy’s hand a little tighter, preparing for the worst. He’s scared to look away from the nurse and the monitor, but he manages to look at Mindy, quickly darting down to her still exposed abdomen.

Suddenly, the sound of a strong heartbeat fills the little room, and a wave of relief washes over Mindy and Danny. Danny nuzzles himself into Mindy’s hair, tears threatening to fall as he happily chuckles. He places a lingering kiss on her temple and looks back at the monitor.

"See, Danny? Everything is fine," Mindy says, reaching up to run her hand through his wavy curls before stopping at the nape of his neck.

“There’s a heartbeat. There’s a baby in there,” Danny says tearfully. “It’s real, Min.”

“It’s real,” she agrees.


	8. Hold Onto Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by Beyonce's song "Blue"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After searching for some inspiration to relieve this writing itch, I stumbled upon a draft I had for this series, so I decided to work on it. I can't believe it's been a little over two years since I first published this. Thank you to all who read, commented with encouragements, and left kudos <3
> 
> Also, I realized just how weird the word 'turbulence' is.
> 
> Edit: I was going to end the series at this chapter, but I somehow got to writing more, so we'll see where this whole thing goes.

It was a beautiful spring day in New York City - the kind that made you forget about the piles of garbage and steam grates. The Castellano family decided to make a day of it, packed a lunch for three, and went to Central Park. They visited the zoo and saw the penguins, which Selene happily ran alongside them as they swam against the divider. After a few hours, they eventually ended up near the pond and settled under a shady spot under a tree to eat lunch. Selene was busying herself, plucking the small flowers to make a bouquet before tossing it in the air, and when it proved to be less entertaining as she originally had thought, she turned to her father. ”Can we play airplane?”

“Yeah, let’s do it.” Danny got up to his knees and bent down, so she could climb onto his back. “Okay, seat belts on, please prepare for take off. Are you ready?”

“Ready!"

"Hold on tight!" Danny bolted off, making airplane noises and running in circles, zig zags, and figure 8's. You name it, he was running it. Mindy snapped photos and tried to hide her laughter as Danny ran in crazy patterns, punctuating each syllable when he yelled, “Ahhh, TURBULENCE!”

"Faster, Daddy, faster!" Danny did his best to run faster, and he did for a moment, but he felt his body starting to betray him. He slowed his pace and returned to their destination, letting Selene off his back. "Okay, go on and play. Let your father rest.”

"Stay close!" 

"Yes, Mommy!" Selene shouted as she chased after the waddling ducks.

Danny groaned in exhaustion as he slowly lowered his slightly aching body next to Mindy. "I'm getting too old, Min. I can’t."

"Too late, captain. Buckle up because your airplane days are not over yet," she replied in jest, waving a hand above her barely there baby bump. 

"For the sake of my back, I hope the baby hates any form of physical activity as much you do.” Mindy playfully smirked, telling him to stop being such a drama queen, which earned her a resounding exclamation of offense from Danny.

When the sun started to fade behind the buildings and the fatigue set in, they gathered their belongings and headed home. Tired from running with ducks and penguins, Selene fell asleep in Danny's arms with her own wrapped securely around his neck. As old as he may be getting and as exhausted as he may become, he will never get tired of playing with his daughter or hearing her squealing laughter. He wrapped his free arm around Mindy and gave her a lingering kiss at her temple as his quiet way of saying thank you for giving him the chance do it all over again with their next child. And he can't wait. 


	9. Braids and Butterflies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny braids his daughter's hair because IT'S CUTE, OKAY?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me LOL
> 
> Well, that didn't take long. I'm back with another chapter even though I said I was ending this, but ugh, I was stuck on my other fic, and I needed to write something easy, light, and fluffy. So, here you go haha. I hope you like it.

He is proud of himself, and he’s not afraid to say it. Practice makes perfect and all that jazz, but it's his attention to detail and surgical hands that takes most of the credit.

Selene is sitting down, faced forward and perched between Danny’s legs while he sits on a small stool in their living room, and he has his supplies next to him, lined up perfectly like on a surgical tray. Selene is all ready to go for school, except for one thing - the matter of how her hair will be styled for the day. 

Some days are easy, and Selene simply combs the brush through her slightly wavy hair a few times… or fifty. She is Mindy Lahiri’s daughter after all. But on other days, she likes to be a little creative with it, and that’s where Danny comes in. His glasses are placed on the bridge of his nose, and he grimaces and huffs when her hair gets tangled more than he likes. It’s long, silky, and dark brown, just like her mother’s, but she also has his curls. It’s a French braid kind of day, which is honestly not his favorite, but hey, it’s not his hair. 

He quickly combs his fingers through the tangled ends, eliciting a small painful squeal from his daughter. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m almost done, okay?” He’s at the base of her neck, and it’s smooth sailing braiding from there. He taps on her shoulder twice to signal the end of his efforts, and she hands him the butterfly hair tie she has selected for the day. 

With a kiss to the top of her head, he says, “All done!” He hands her a mirror, so she could see the end result in the other mirror in his hand. “What do you think?”

She turns her head from one side to the other to examine it from all angles, making sure there are no stray bumps of hair on her head - there never are any, just FYI - and gives a stamp of approval. “I like it! Thanks, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome. Now, grab your backpack and coat, okay? It’s time for school.” She runs off without a word and meets her father at the door, where he is waiting for her, messenger bag slung over his shoulder and two lunch boxes in one hand. “I’m ready!” 

He chuckles a little and shakes his head because she most certainly is not ready with that unbuttoned canary coat. It is cold outside after all, and yes, he knows what color canary is now thanks to Mindy’s suspiciously well rehearsed speech about it. He gets down on one knee, sets the lunch boxes aside, and buttons her coat for her. “Now, we’re ready. Let’s go.” He takes her small hand in his, and they’re out the door and into the bustling city. She’s skipping alongside him and chattering away, always a ball of energy, and he smiles widely because it’s the little things in life.


	10. National Sibling Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is Mindy and Danny heavy, but I don't even really care lol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To quote the very wise Britney Spears, oops, I did it again because I really don't want to work on my other fic, so I've been heavily procrastinating on it, hence another chapter for this series. Hope y'all don't mind haha.

Swamped with pregnancy at 8 months, Mindy was constantly uncomfortable. Not even her body pillow could provide an ounce of comfort it once did. She was also on bed rest until she gave birth just as a precaution, so that only added to the discomfort. Staying in bed was fun for two days, but she quickly got over it.

“Danny, I hate you,” she declared the second she opened her eyes one morning. He mumbled something incoherently, so she poked him hard in the chest to wake her husband up. “Danny, did you hear what I said?”

He brought his hands up to his face to rub the sleep out of his eyes. “’s going on?”

“I hate you,” she defiantly said again. Danny smirked lazily. She has been saying this at least once a day, so it doesn’t exactly surprise him that she would wake up him up just to say it.

“I know, baby, I’m sorry.” He lovingly ran a hand over her stomach and placed a kiss right on top, and then on the corner of her mouth. “I love you too.”

She whimpered loudly and dramatically turned to her side in an attempt to get more comfortable, but her movements were stunted by her burgeoning belly, so she just sort of slumped back into her original position. She sighed in defeat as Danny playfully shook his head and helped her get on her side. “Feel better?”

“No,” she pouted, “I want this kid out of me, I can’t take it anymore. Danny, why did you do this to me?”

“Because I love you very much and because I can’t keep my hands off my hot wife,” he grinned devilishly. Proving just how much he stood by his statement, his hand that was on her belly traveled towards her backside and he pulled her in for a kiss. Before he could take it any further, their daughter came running in and plopped herself at the end of their bed. They both sighed in slight disappointment. Sometimes their child had the worst timing.

When they pulled apart, Selene wedged herself in-between them. “Hi Mommy, hi Daddy.”

“Morning, sweetheart. Be careful with your baby brother,” Danny reminded her as she dug under the covers.

“I will!” She wrapped her arms around her mother as best as she could and planted a kiss on her belly. “Hi, baby brother.” Mindy smiled at the sweet gesture and ran her fingers through Selene’s hair. She was such a good kid.

“What did he say? Did he say hi back?”

Selene furrowed her brows in concentration as she delicately pressed an ear to where her brother was currently residing. “Hmm.” Mindy and Danny looked at each other and quietly chuckled. “I can’t tell. HELLO?”

He moved then, giving Mindy a hardy kick. “Oof, quietly, Selene. You’re scaring him.”

She looked at her mother apologetically. “Sorry, Mommy.” She said hello again, but gentler this time, and he swam under her touch. “When will he be here?!” she asked excitedly, turning to both of her parents for an answer.

“Soon,” Danny replied, “He’ll be here before you know it.”

Satisfied with his answer, she continued, “I can’t wait to be a big sister. We’re gonna have so much fun. What are we having for breakfast?! Can we have pancakes?!”

Danny chuckled at her mile a minute chatter and blew raspberry kisses on her cheek, making her squeal in laughter. “How do blueberry pancakes sound?”

“Yay, my favorite!”

“Alright, then. Why don’t you go get changed and we’ll meet you downstairs?”

She clamored out of bed, excitedly yelling, “pancakes, pancakes, pancakes!” on the way back to her room. Mindy and Danny were left alone once more, and they quickly closed the gap Selene made between them.

Mindy burrowed in his chest, the only real refuge from her all around discomfort. “I don’t wanna move,” she murmured.

“I don’t either,” he agreed, “but I gotta make her breakfast. I have to make _you_ breakfast otherwise you’re gonna be cranky, and I don’t like it when you’re cranky.”

She pulled away and looked at him indignantly. “Me?! Cranky?! I would never-“ He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, okay,” she resigned.

“We have at least ten minutes before we really need to get out of bed though. She takes a while to decide what to wear anyway.”

“That’s true.”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged, “do you wanna… do stuff? We _were_ rudely interrupted.” He leaned down to leave a trail of kisses down the column of her throat. It momentarily distracted her, but she wasn’t going to let him get away with it. 

“Danny! Don’t call our daughter rude. RUDE!” 

He raised his hands in defense. “I’m just saying she had bad timing.”

“I don’t think that’s any better, but I can’t argue with you there. It’s, like, shocking just how bad her timing is though.” He returned his attention to the crook of her neck, slowly unbuttoning her pajama top, but she continued in her signature lilt. “Sometimes, I’m not even sure that she’s ours. Maybe it’s a karma thing ‘cause-“

“Mindy?”

“Yeah?”

“Please stop talking.” He kissed her fully on the mouth to ensure it, but she grunted in protest and pulled away from him, leaving him a little more than frustrated at the moment. He rested his forehead against hers and sighed deeply. “Mindy,” he groaned, dragging out the last syllable. “You’re killing me right now. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” she replied brightly with a mischievous look in her eye. “I was just playing with you.” 

Danny shook his head, a smirk developing on his lips, as she erupted into a fit of laughter. “You’re absolutely ridiculous.”

“Yeah, but you love me.”

His smile widened, quickly reaching his eyes, and replied fondly, “I do.” He kissed her again before disappearing under the covers to prove it.


End file.
